Yarra Junction Primary School’s Grade 5/6 students Aiden, Caitlin, Lauren and Jasmine complete school work on their netbook laptops.By Monique Ebrington
YARRA Junction Primary School students are learning through laptops, with the school bringing technology to the classroom.
Yarra Junction Primary’s principal Chris Thomas has provided the 85 Grade 5 and 6 students with 100 Acer netbook laptops they have been using since the start of term one.
Mr Thomas said the technological move also included an electronic whiteboard in each classroom and insists that the upgrade isn’t just a trial.
“They’re definitely here to stay,” Mr Thomas said.
“We’re preparing students to be at the leading edge of technology. They learn about and create their own blogs and wikkis.”
Student Aiden said he preferred the change and said that the laptop provided work to go on with once he’s completed an activity.
“Yeah, it’s easier on the laptop. You don’t have to ask the teacher what to do next — you can choose what you want to do next,” Aiden said.
While the students are responsible for the laptops in the classroom, they don’t get taken home, and there are consequences for students caught on the internet when they are not allowed.
Mr Thomas said that students saved their work to their own USB stick and if any laptops broke they had 15 extras and a technician working at the school four days a week.
